CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Donald J. McCoid was re-elected June 14 to a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). McCoid, 57, has been serving as bishop of synod since the ELCA was formed in 1987.
McCoid was re-elected on the first ballot for bishop with 369 of 418 votes. Others who received votes on the first ballot were the Rev. Kirk W. Bish, an assistant to the bishop for the synod, 12 votes; and the Rev. Martha W. Clementson, an assistant to the bishop for the synod, 9 votes. There were 21 nominees on the first ballot.
McCoid, who was born in Wheeling, W.Va., earned a bachelor's degree from West Liberty State College, West Liberty, W.Va., and earned a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, one of eight ELCA seminaries.
In 1983 he was presented an honorary doctoral degree by Thiel College, an ELCA college in Greenville, Pa.
Before he was bishop, McCoid served several years as senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Latrobe, Pa. He was area coordinator for Lutheran congregations in West Virginia and western Maryland for the former Lutheran Church in America. McCoid also served as pastor at Lutheran congregations in Pittsburgh and Monessen, Pa. He was ordained in 1968.
Presently, McCoid is chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an advisory body of the church's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. He is ELCA co-chair of the Lutheran-Orthodox bilateral discussions. McCoid is involved with a number of ecumenical organizations in Pennsylvania.
He and his wife Saundra are parents of two grown children.
The ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod includes 91,470 members in 225 congregations. Its offices are in Pittsburgh.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
